Pierre Dionne Labelle

[French Language, May 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the member for Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière had the gall to say that “the orange wave is causing French to disappear from this House” and that “all the NDP MPs from Quebec...ask half their questions in English.”

What a grotesque, ridiculous and false statement. We know how much the Conservatives hate facts. This statement is another example of that.

Since the member for Outremont was elected as the leader of the NDP, Quebec members have asked only 17 of a total of 185 questions, or 6%, in English. However, 60% of the questions asked in French by our Quebec members have been answered in English. So much for a government that says it wants to protect the French fact.

When the Conservatives utter such nonsense, we can see why Quebeckers chose the NDP a year ago to represent them and defend their interests and to give every Quebecker a voice in Parliament.

[National Defence, May 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has decided to close the Bécancour sea cadet camp, the only francophone camp of its kind in Canada. This camp plays a critical role in creating the next francophone generation of the Canadian Forces and produces significant economic spinoffs throughout the region.

Why did the minister dismiss the importance of this camp for francophone youth who want the sea cadet experience in their own language? Why close the only francophone camp in Canada?

[Business of Supply, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague what she thinks of the government's decision to scale back environmental processes.

I do not see how the government can scale back environmental processes and expedite them without missing information. If there are 100 criteria to assess as part of an environmental impact assessment, and the government decides to speed things up, there are two ways to do that: either increase the number of people doing the assessments or assess fewer criteria.

Take airplanes, for example. If 100 points must be inspected to assess the condition of a plane, and inspectors decide not to inspect 50 of those points, then the plane crashes, maybe the problem was with one of the 50 points not inspected.

I think it is dangerous to apply that logic to the environment. What does my colleague think?

[CBC/Radio-Canada, April 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this government is attacking the very mission of our public broadcaster. In the government's budget, it is not bureaucracy that is being diminished, but local information, Canadian content and digital innovation.

We are talking about the elimination of 243 jobs in the French service of Radio-Canada, mainly in Montreal. That is a direct attack on the artists who promote French language and culture around the world.

When will this government stop preventing Radio-Canada from fulfilling its mandate? Or is this government cutting funding from Radio-Canada because it is fulfilling its mandate too well by informing Canadians of this government's ideological drift?

[Persons with Disabilities, April 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the abrupt closure of Aveos dealt a serious blow to two residents of Saint-Jérôme. Not only did Éric Gaudreau and Bertrand Fraser lose their jobs, but they have also been left with nothing since they were on extended sick leave when the company closed.

The staff at the employment insurance office told them that they are not eligible to receive benefits because they have not worked for the past year. The disability insurance that they had been receiving while on sick leave is no longer payable because Aveos stopped paying the premiums to the Sun Life insurance company. About a hundred other Aveos employees who were also on long-term disability are in the same situation.

The Conservatives did not hesitate to use heavy-handed measures to intimidate Air Canada workers and prevent them from exercising their legitimate right to strike, but when it comes to helping disabled workers preserve their dignity, the government is doing nothing and will not lift a finger to help.

When the next election is held, Canadians will remember the Aveos workers with disabilities who were abandoned by the Conservative government.

[Telecommunications Industry, April 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the giant telephone companies want to double the cost of using public telephones.

Pay phones are used mainly by low-income people and seniors, and those are the people who will feel the full weight of this increase.

Will the minister work with us to prevent this unjustified increase, or will he stand once again with his friends, the telecom giants?

Why do the Conservatives never stand up for low-income Canadians, the people who cannot afford cell phones, decent housing or food on their tables? On this issue, it seems no one is going to answer the call for the Conservatives.

[Business of Supply, March 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our friends across the floor are asking my colleague to keep her voice down. I believe this is a breach of members' privileges. It is a question of privilege. It is a breach of the member's privileges, since she has the right to express herself in this House, using respectful language of course, in whatever tone she likes. It is a question of privilege.

[Telecommunications, March 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are reducing the number of services offered in Service Canada centres because they are improving the availability of online services. Or so they say. Yet the Conservatives are also planning to cut CAP, a program that gives communities affordable Internet access. How does that make sense?

Can the Conservatives explain how people who cannot afford a home Internet connection are supposed to continue accessing government services? Will the Conservatives promise to maintain funding for CAP?

[Freedom of the Press, February 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the confidentiality of journalistic sources has allowed us to uncover many scandals, including the sponsorship scandal. Yet Tony Accurso's lawyers want to force the journalist from the program Enquête to reveal the identity of his source, who helped bring to light major tax fraud by Louisbourg and Simard-Beaudry.

Is the government prepared to act in the public's interest, to legislate to protect journalistic sources, and to ensure that freedom of the press remains one of Canada's fundamental values?

[Canada Post, February 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding, Rivière-du-Nord, repeated admail price hikes have had unfortunate consequences for the Prévost community newspaper. These price hikes have put the paper and dozens of other community papers in Quebec in a precarious financial position that jeopardizes their very survival. Community newspapers are the primary source of information for small communities.

Will the government take action to protect community newspapers? On Valentine's Day, it would be nice of the Conservatives to show a little love for our community newspapers.